wintry

Brr!

For some reason that other post didn't actually post when I meant it too, a week ago or more.

I suddenly flew home (got the call, bought a ticket and got on a plane within three hours) because my grandpa was in the hospital with a serious infection. He passed away a few days later, a week ago now.

We spent a lot of time hanging out at the hospital with him and my other family members. It was really sad to see him deteriorate, and there was a lot of crying. However, there was a lot of time to talk to and catch up with family people that haven't spent much time together in years. That part was actually kind of fun, or at least good. There was plenty of laughter to cushion the tears.

Grandpa had a hell of a life. He left high school and enlisted with the Merchant Marines when he was only fifteen (he lied and said he was sixteen), during World War II. He may have also been part of the Korean War? He worked on boats for decades probably, and did all kinds of things all over the world. When he was 32 and working in Alaska, one of his colleagues fell into freezing water, unconscious. Grandpa jumped in and saved him, barely avoiding being smushed between the boat and the dock. He was awarded a Carnegie Medal for this act of bravery.

I wish I knew more about him and all that he did. I'm very sad that he's gone. I hope that my mom and her siblings will put together a bit more info so I can learn. I won't be able to fly back for the funeral, but I'm really glad that I got to be there to see him and be with family.